Scientists have warned that Mongolia may already have passed a tipping point. The region is drier and warmer than at any point in 260 years and the trend towards a drier climate may be irreversible.

Beijing, 850 kilometres from Mongolian Gobi, has seen a number of sandstorms this year. They have caused air quality issues and triggered much debate on social media. It’s not just Beijing and the north – sandstorms have even reached south of the Yangtze. The issue can no longer be ignored. In May, China and Mongolia agreed to set up a joint centre to combat desertification, and other cooperation in this field is already underway.

Mongolian sandstorms affecting China is not something new. In March 2021, a huge one enveloped almost the entirety of Mongolia, leaving 10 herders dead. The storm then moved on to hit parts of northern China. This year has been even worse for China.

According to China’s Department of Ecological and Environmental Monitoring,  Mongolia can account for 70 percent of the sand in a Beijing sandstorm, and more than 50 percent in north-east China and other parts of middle and eastern China. Both the south of Mongolia and China’s north-west have seen higher temperatures and drier weather than usual this year – ideal sandstorm conditions.

In November 2022, China’s president, Xi Jinping, met with his Mongolian counterpart U.Khurelsukh saying he hoped to set up a joint centre to combat desertification, providing Chinese expertise and technology to balance conservation with development.

In May, after the spate of sandstorms, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and its Mongolian counterpart reached agreement on creating that centre, with the initial planning and mission for the organisation confirmed.

(source: china dialogue)